Rust gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to the negligent killing of camerawoman Halyna Hutchins, who was killed by Alec Baldwin
- Rust gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to two counts
- She faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence
- The arms dealer’s trial is scheduled for December 6-15 this year
Rust gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and forgery of evidence in connection with the accidental death of camerawoman Halyna Hutchins.
The arms dealer’s trial is set for December 6-15 as prosecutors want to prove she acted recklessly in October 2021 when she loaded a prop gun before handing it to actor Alec Baldwin for a rehearsal .
Production was abruptly halted when Baldwin was shooting live on the film’s set in New Mexico, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in the process.
Two involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin for the death of the mother-of-one were dropped earlier this year.
Prosecutors accuse Gutierrez-Reed of negligent homicide and evidence tampering
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of Rust when she was hit by a live bullet from a gun fired by Alec Baldwin
The actor was seen hanging out outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office parking lot after asking questions about the accidental shooting
Filming immediately halted in October 2021 following the death of Hutchins and the injuries to Joel Souza
However, prosecutors go further in the Gutierrez-Reed case, alleging they did not properly inspect all cartridges to ensure they were dummies.
They will also try to prove claims that Gutierrez-Reed gave another person a bag of cocaine the night after Hutchins was shot.
Special Counsel Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis previously filed a motion saying they have a confidential witness who will testify.
The witness is expected to allege that Gutierrez-Reed turned in the drugs after returning from her initial police interrogation.
“The circumstances surrounding the submission of evidence strongly support the allegation that the defendant passed on the cocaine to avoid prosecution and to prevent law enforcement from obtaining highly incriminating evidence directly related to the defendant’s handling of the firearm and the… circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins,” prosecutors wrote.
Baldwin was initially charged, but the case was dropped after evidence emerged that the gun could have been fired without him pulling the trigger
Hutchins pictured on the set by Rust
The gunsmith is said to have handed a bag of cocaine to another film employee after her police interrogation in October 2021
The Ukrainian had acted in more than 30 feature films, short films and TV shows
Gutierrez-Reed waived her right to an indictment and a preliminary hearing Wednesday when she filed her plea.
Jury selection begins the day before the opening speeches.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys previously said they “have our full understanding that Hannah will also be exonerated at the end of this trial.”
The state of New Mexico, where the shooting took place, had to drop the charges against Baldwin after he lost multiple pretrial convictions.
In interviews, he said he was told the gun was safe and never pulled the trigger.
The Santa Fe County Attorney’s Office could still decide to file new charges after sending the gun for further testing.
Investigators are initially reviewing evidence that the gun could have fired without him pulling the trigger.
After a damning security review by New Mexico regulators detailing ignored complaints and dropouts prior to Hutchins’ death in October 2021, the production company agreed to pay a $100,000 fine.